A ecl is a level adjustment due to race for example: drow have a ecl of 2 because they start out with things like spell resistance, spell like abilities or some other perks that make them more powerful then the standard races. The draw back is you lose out on two levels of class so when the rest of the party is level 20 fighters/ clerics/ wizards, you would be a level 18 rouge. As for races Inkwell dwarf isn't a bad idea since they get a constitution bonus, there is another race you could look into called goliaths, I don't remember if they have a ecl or not but to sum up what they are, Rockbiter from the Never Ending Story, smaller thoug